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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 120 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 · temple · game · trunk · rash · court · pound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. court — of a king
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. court — of law
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. game — wild animals
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a match
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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