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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: ball · swing · suit · press · craft · club · spell · board

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. club — a group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. craft — boats
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a great time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a dance

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