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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: bore · hide · ball · squash · sharp · craft · race · pound

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — a skill
  24. race — humankind

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