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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: wave · craft · season · bulb · board · temple · court · pound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — a weight
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a skill
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. court — for sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — of law
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — of the year
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a flat piece

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