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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 120 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: snap · craft · bass · fork · swing · kick · season · cabinet

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — in a road
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kick — 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