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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 · wave · chest · leaves · tube · pound · mug · craft

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of a king
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — the underground
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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