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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: season · wake · fan · scale · craft · cabinet · bore · court

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — in sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — of the year
  16. craft — boats
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. scale — size or range

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