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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — to wash

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