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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — low music
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — clothes
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. craft — boats
  16. suit — in cards
  17. swing — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — magic
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. swing — in golf

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