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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
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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: rash · fork · race · track · craft · spring · saw · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rash — hasty
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. race — a contest
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — boats
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — to keep track

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