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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. court — for sport
  5. last — finally
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — final
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — bread
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — to go on
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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