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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
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: mark · kid · mate · face · ball · craft · saw · game

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a match
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kid — to tease
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. face — to point toward

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