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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of law
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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