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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: bulb · craft · shower · last · date · coach · fan · court

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — finally
  3. court — of a king
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — final
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. date — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. last — to go on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — rain

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