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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · craft · ball · staff · stand · bowl · shower · game

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. shower — to wash
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — a stick
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — moving air

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