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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · craft · board · bay · hand · mark · bear

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. board — a committee
  17. hand — help
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — boats
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — for sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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