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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: nail · band · court · mouse · game · fan · dip · craft

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — boats
  11. band — a ring
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — a match
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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