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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — to handle
  11. land — a country
  12. roll — a cake
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — a list

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