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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. land — to come down
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — ground
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — low music

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