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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a dance
  12. key — in music
  13. game — a match
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — finally
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — to go on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — the most important part
  21. last — final
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ball — a great time

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