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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 120 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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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: court · fork · pit · craft · swing · rash · temple · bay

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a hole
  3. court — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. swing — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. court — of a king
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. craft — a skill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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