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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: court · craft · chest · dip · suit · pop · bay · snap

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of law
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. court — for sport
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — soda
  18. craft — boats
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of a king
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to click

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