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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. chip — for betting
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — for sport
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — to eat
  23. band — a ring
  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