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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. craft — boats
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — child
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — tied together
  10. drill — army training
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — a practice
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kid — to tease
  21. craft — a skill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. court — for sport

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