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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pound — a weight
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kid — child
  10. suit — to fit
  11. craft — boats
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — to tease
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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