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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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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: toast · club · game · craft · pound · court · ground · mouse

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. club — for dancing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — a group
  10. toast — bread
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. craft — a skill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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