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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 120 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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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: fall · bear · pit · court · cabinet · foot · club · craft

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. club — for dancing
  6. court — of law
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — a hole
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — a group
  21. craft — a skill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — in a race

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