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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: bowl · craft · stem · scale · swing · mate · squash · wind

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. scale — in music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. swing — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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