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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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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: rest · nail · wind · racket · craft · deal · date · pop

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — soda
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — to visit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a handicraft

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