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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — music
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. last — final
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mug — a face
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — finally
  19. kick — in football
  20. wax — to grow
  21. last — to go on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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