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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: fine · craft · race · coach · file · fork

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — boats
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a document

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