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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: jam · land · lash · pitcher · wound · court · game · craft

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — an injury
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — a skill
  7. land — a country
  8. court — for sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — wild animals
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — of law
  19. game — a match
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. craft — boats

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