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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · fine · track · craft · row · bowl

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. row — a line
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — all right
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. craft — boats

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