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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: cell · date · fan · fine · craft · swing · pitch · rest

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. swing — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — boats
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cell — in biology
  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