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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.

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: bark · game · kid · bass · rush · craft · cell · bowl

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kid — child
  19. cell — in biology
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — hurry

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