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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: rash · kid · fan · ground · court · rock · bound · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — music
  20. kid — child
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — a position

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