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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a path
  3. craft — a skill
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — a trainer

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