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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. current — electric
  16. court — of law
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. spring — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rock — to move gently

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