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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 120 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: wound · bowl · craft · bound · vault · dip · bat · ball

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bat — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ball — a great time
  24. craft — boats

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