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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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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: racket · bank · craft · kid · deal · lash · cabinet · club

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for golf
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — a group
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kid — child
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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