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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: court · lash · content · craft · bowl · march · object · wave

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — an aim
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. march — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. march — the month
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. object — a thing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. court — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — of law
  24. object — to protest

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