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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 116 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: race · craft · patient · wound · club · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — humankind
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. craft — boats
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — a group
  18. coach — a trainer

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