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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: game · craft · rock · current · bark · mouse · ball · temple

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — happening now
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rock — a stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — electric
  20. rock — music
  21. game — a match
  22. craft — boats
  23. current — of water
  24. temple — side of the head

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