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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 120 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
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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: stem · court · ruler · pop · deal · craft

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — for sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal

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