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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 120 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 · court · game · pitcher · chip · drill · fork · wake

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — a match
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of a king
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — boats
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fork — in a road

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