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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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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: kid · racket · race · craft · sharp · vault

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — a skill
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kid — child
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — humankind
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis

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