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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: jam · craft · shower · swing · court · firm · chip · roll

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — to play on
  4. roll — a cake
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — decided
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. craft — boats
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — a skill
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. roll — a list
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — steady

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