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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 · saw · rock · spell · clip · jam · vault · craft

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — letters
  11. clip — to cut
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spell — a short time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — of law
  22. clip — for paper
  23. court — for sport
  24. clip — a video

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