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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 116 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: swing · file · pound · deal · craft · sharp · racket · wind

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a document
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — boats
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pound — for dogs

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