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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · craft · season · fan · swing · file · ball · object

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — a thing
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — to play on
  5. object — to protest
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a dance
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — in sport
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — an aim

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