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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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