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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. court — of law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. field — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. band — a ring
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — boats
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — farmland
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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