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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — for sport
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a skill
  19. march — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of a king
  22. rash — hasty
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — on the skin

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