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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · ball · current · fine · craft · game · tear · hide

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — electric
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — happening now
  13. game — a match
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — high quality

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