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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: toast · craft · spring · swing · fine · coach · mug · roll

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — bread
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — a cake
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a face
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — to rob
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spring — the season
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a list

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