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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: bank · court · squash · arm · pitch · craft · tube · coach

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — of a king
  23. craft — boats
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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