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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 · ruler · wave · season · track · kick · craft · band

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. track — a path
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — of law
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a ring
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — a song

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