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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: pitcher · court · craft · swing · rash · pound · fine · ruler

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. court — of a king
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a skill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — boats
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — a series
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. court — of law

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