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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — boats
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cue — for pool
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — a line

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