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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: bore · lie · bowl · pound · ground · wave · racket · craft

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ground — the earth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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