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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: craft · cabinet · bank · ball · present · file · root · swing

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — there
  3. swing — in golf
  4. craft — boats
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — a skill
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — of a river
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. present — the time now
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. root — of a word

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