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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: wind · craft · game · pit · court · stand · mug · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — a match
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — a series
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. game — wild animals
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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