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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: last · pass · game · mug · court · craft · spell · pitcher

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — a permit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. last — to go on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — finally
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mug — a face
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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