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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. court — for sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — employees
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of law
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — wild animals
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — boats
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — the bottom

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