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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: wind · ball · craft · chest · wave · suit · club · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — to fit
  3. club — for golf
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — a group
  8. chest — a box
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a great time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for dancing
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. season — in sport
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. craft — boats

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