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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: kick · craft · court · suit · stand · mate · wake · nail

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. craft — boats
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stand — to bear
  10. craft — a skill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — of a king
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — for sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. suit — clothes
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — to breed

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