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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: deal · cue · wind · spell · craft · bass · can · club

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — to be able to
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — for dancing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — a short time

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