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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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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — for catching
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — after costs
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — in sport

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