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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. craft — a skill
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — boats
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. court — for sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — a group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — all right
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bass — the instrument

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