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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: bore · temple · racket · craft · firm · scale · court · bear

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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