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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: deal · craft · net · rush · fine · stand · wind · pitcher

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — in sport
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — for catching
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. deal — to handle
  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