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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: fork · craft · bark · race · coach · squash · bay · bass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — boats
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. race — humankind
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — a contest
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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