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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 120 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: ball · track · craft · mine · bore · kick · season · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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