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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · foot · fork · bass · craft · court · trunk · mine

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. court — of a king
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — of law
  24. mine — an explosive

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