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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: cell · stand · court · land · racket · mouse · craft · scale

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stand — to bear
  3. court — of law
  4. land — to come down
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. court — of a king
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — in music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — in a prison

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