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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: craft · mate · ball · board · key · pound · root · bowl

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. root — the cause
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. board — a committee
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mate — a friend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. root — of a word
  23. pound — a weight
  24. key — in music

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