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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 · bulb · craft · bowl · dip · mate · sharp · hand

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — of law
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. court — for sport
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — to breed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — in cards

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