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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. land — to come down
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — a thing
  11. band — a music group
  12. court — for sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — boats
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. land — ground
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — letters
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. land — a country
  24. craft — a skill

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