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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 116 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: club · hide · bound · scale · leaves · rock · court · craft

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — for sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — a group
  12. craft — a skill
  13. club — for golf
  14. court — of a king
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — of law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — for dancing

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