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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: court · craft · file · dip · march · ball · stick · patient

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of law
  12. file — a document
  13. dip — to sink
  14. march — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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