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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: fall · bat · bear · court · mark · craft · date · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — the season
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. date — the fruit

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