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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: court · craft · bass · race · net · key · foot · stem

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. race — humankind
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — in music
  8. race — a contest
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — low music
  12. court — of law
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — boats
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stem — to come from

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