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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · rash · racket · trunk · pit · track · calf

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pit — a hole
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — a path
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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