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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 · spring · stand · net · kid · stock · plane · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — for catching
  4. craft — boats
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — goods
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. net — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. spring — the season
  22. kid — child
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. swing — to play on

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