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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — boats
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a dance

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