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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · race · bank · craft · game · leaves · present · saw

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bank — for money
  5. ball — a dance
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. race — a contest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. game — wild animals
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — a match
  20. present — the time now
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — a handicraft

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