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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: rash · content · craft · straw · bear · wake · ball · pound

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — a skill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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