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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 · ball · foot · current · content · bear · bound · game

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — boats
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — obliged
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. content — the amount
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. foot — part of the body

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