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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: fan · bat · bound · suit · bark · craft · rash · net

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. craft — boats
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bound — tied together

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