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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: sharp · dip · deal · field · bowl · club · craft · bat

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. dip — to sink
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — the animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — a skill
  24. field — a subject

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