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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — for catching
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chair — a leader
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com