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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — boats
  3. bore — to tire
  4. court — of law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. court — of a king
  8. pop — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a skill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. roll — a list
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pop — to visit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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