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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: pitcher · wake · craft · court · bear · spell · mouse · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. craft — boats
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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