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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 116 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: wound · craft · perch · capital · court · track · cue · ball

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. capital — money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — boats
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — a city
  23. court — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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