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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: chest · stick · craft · court · staff · racket · mate · band

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. court — of a king
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chest — a box
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — boats
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a ring
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a handicraft

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