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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a great time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. band — a music group
  24. net — for catching

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