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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — to bear
  4. court — of law
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. row — to paddle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — a skill
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. swing — in golf

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