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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: rock · rest · sharp · jam · court · craft · bore · hide

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — for sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to drill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rest — a break
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. craft — boats

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