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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — for catching
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — in cards

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