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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: content · object · craft · fall · bowl · ground · stick · ball

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. content — happy
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — a position
  10. fall — the season
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — crushed
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. content — the amount
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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