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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.

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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: craft · rush · club · fork · race · hide

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — hurry
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for dancing
  8. race — a contest
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. craft — boats
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — for golf
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. craft — a skill

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