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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: hide · bound · hand · bore · craft · jam · club · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — certain
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — to tire
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. hand — in cards
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bore — to drill

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