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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.

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: craft · deal · sharp · squash · hand · foot · court · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — help
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — for sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. pit — a hole
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — to crush
  21. sharp — clever
  22. foot — a measure
  23. craft — a skill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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