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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
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: craft · chair · court · wave · pound · mug · bat · season

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. craft — boats
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. court — of a king
  14. chair — a leader
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bat — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — for sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. court — of law
  22. pound — a weight
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — in an idiom

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