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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
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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: object · court · cap · rush · fall · craft · pound · leaves

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a skill
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fall — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — a thrill

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