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

Word bank: fork · craft · net · racket · cell · swing

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — in golf
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cell — a phone
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. swing — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in biology
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. racket — for tennis

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