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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: mug · court · sharp · pit · craft · band · toast · rest

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — bread
  12. mug — a face
  13. band — a ring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — clever
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — of a king

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