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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 120 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 a fun ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a match
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — a path
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. craft — boats
  10. hand — help
  11. shower — rain
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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