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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
468
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: craft · bowl · temple · suit · leaves · foot · court · current

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. suit — to fit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — for sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — of water
  17. court — of law
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. suit — clothes

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