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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: craft · can · court · leaves · pit · cabinet · date · row

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. court — for sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — the fruit
  10. row — a line
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — of a king
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. leaves — to go away

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