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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 116 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: bowl · net · straw · ruler · season · club · craft · stand

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. craft — boats
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. club — for golf
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — a group
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — of the year
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — to bear

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