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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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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: craft · club · calf · kick · ball · sharp · cell · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a dance
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. ball — a great time
  24. craft — a skill

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