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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 120 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: season · racket · rash · craft · swing · race · ground · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. race — a contest
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — a series
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — a position
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — the earth
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — for tennis

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