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

Word bank: wave · rule · kick · bay · court · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. 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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — a law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rule — government
  14. craft — boats
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. 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