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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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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: fine · craft · ball · band · bass · mug · wake · court

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a ring
  3. court — for sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. mug — a face
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. court — of law

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