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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: deal · key · race · ball · court · rock · craft · band

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a music group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — a stone
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — in music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — a contest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. court — of a king
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — for a lock
  24. craft — boats

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