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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 · nail · craft · pitcher · deal · mate · pop · stem

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. court — of law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pop — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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