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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. game — a match
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — boats
  14. ball — a dance
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kid — child
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — wild animals

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