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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. 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. chip — for betting
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kid — to tease
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. craft — boats
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — music
  24. 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