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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · staff · craft · clip · fine · bat · calf · jam

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. clip — to cut
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — a skill
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. clip — a video
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. clip — for paper
  24. calf — a young animal

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