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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. court — for sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — of law
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. date — the fruit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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