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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: can · club · ground · swing · craft · bank · file · wave

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — in golf
  8. file — a tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. file — a document
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. swing — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ground — a position
  19. club — a group
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. file — a line of people
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bank — for money

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