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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — the arms race
  18. court — for sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. race — humankind

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