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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: spell · pitcher · tube · safe · court · craft · snap · suit

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of law
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — a container
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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