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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 120 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: spell · hand · cabinet · bank · club · fine · craft · net

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — in cards
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for golf
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — all right
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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