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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: bat · craft · mug · court · key · squash · bowl · race

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — humankind
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — a face
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. key — in music
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — the animal

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