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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: craft · bank · ball · firm · fan · sharp · game · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wind — moving air
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — decided
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wind — moving air

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