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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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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: rest · craft · net · racket · dip · kid · patient · club

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. craft — boats
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — for catching
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — for golf
  12. net — in sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. club — for dancing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — what's left

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