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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.

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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: bulb · cue · craft · capital · ball · court · pitcher · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of a king
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — a gift
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — for sport
  12. present — there
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — of law
  17. capital — a city
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — a signal

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