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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: season · club · row · pitcher · cabinet · craft · fan · wound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — of the year
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for golf

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