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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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Word bank
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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 · deal · wave · club · net · file · kick · pop

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. craft — boats
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — for golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for dancing
  20. file — a tool
  21. club — a group
  22. net — for catching
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — a big deal

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