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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 116 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: craft · pound · club · land · board · shower · swing · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — a skill
  7. land — a country
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. land — ground
  12. club — a group
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for dancing
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a dance

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