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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: craft · pitcher · can · court · race · calf · track · bowl

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. track — to keep track
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — a contest

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