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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: mark · court · craft · foot · rest · board

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rest — what's left
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — of a king
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — for sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — a trace
  17. foot — a measure
  18. craft — a handicraft

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