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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: bowl · fine · craft · rush · net · deal · rash · swing

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — hurry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — a thrill

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