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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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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: spell · fine · mine · club · bear · craft · wind · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. club — for dancing
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spell — magic
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. club — a group
  24. fine — high quality

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