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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 · wound · pit · bore · sharp · ball · lean · game

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lean — to bend
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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