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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
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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 · press · fan · cue · kid · rash · can · craft

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — for pool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a hint
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — a signal
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rash — a series

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