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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of a king
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — letters
  12. court — for sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — wild animals
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — boats
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. game — a kind of play

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