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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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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: game · rash · season · craft · net · fall · court · fine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — a series
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — of the year
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fine — all right
  20. game — wild animals
  21. season — in sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. court — for sport
  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