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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 120 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: court · nail · suit · spell · spring · chip · bound · craft

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — clothes
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — certain
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spring — the season
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — letters

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