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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · ball · court · rock · craft · cell

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — of law
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ball — a dance

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