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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. game — a match
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pop — soda
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pop — music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — boats
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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