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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — of a king

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