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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · clip · craft · season · kid · suit · club · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — for paper
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kid — to tease
  10. season — of the year
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — boats
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. club — a group
  22. kid — child
  23. club — for dancing
  24. suit — to fit

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