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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: sharp · bowl · craft · cue · bound · ball · land · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — in football
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — for pool
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. land — ground
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. land — to come down

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