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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.

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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: dip · pound · net · rest · march · ball · craft · cell

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — after costs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — a phone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cell — in biology

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