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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: bay · coach · bowl · shower · race · craft

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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