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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: craft · file · suit · swing · key · net · bat · hand

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. file — a line of people
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — for a lock
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. key — in music
  24. net — in sport

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