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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: bore · rock · suit · squash · trunk · craft · court · mine

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. court — of a king
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — to crush
  13. court — for sport
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — to fit
  19. court — of law
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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