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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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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: can · game · bowl · craft · mine · straw · bore · nail

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bore — to tire

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