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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: land · fine · bowl · roll · craft · straw · court · mug

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. land — ground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mug — a cup
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. court — for sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. craft — boats
  22. mug — to rob
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a football final

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