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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · swing · content · rest · firm · deal

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — to play on
  11. content — happy
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. firm — a company
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break

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