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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · fine · cabinet · stem · court · rush · craft · track

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. court — for sport
  8. track — a path
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. court — of law
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — to sink

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