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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: court · ruler · nail · sharp · wave · pit · capital · craft

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — a hole
  5. court — for sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. capital — a city
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — in a race
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. capital — money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — a big letter

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