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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
468
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 · craft · hand · racket · club · calf · lean · game

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. hand — help
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for golf
  11. game — a match
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of a king
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — in cards

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