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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: squash · craft · row · wave · ball · stick · bore · court

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ball — a great time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. court — of law
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of a king
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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