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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: can · bore · wound · cue · ball · craft · game · bark

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cue — a hint
  15. craft — boats
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cue — a signal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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