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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: present · kid · club · deal · craft · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — for golf
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. craft — boats
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kid — child
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — for dancing

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