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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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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 · ball · pound · race · deal · mark · court · row

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — for sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. craft — boats
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a great time
  23. race — humankind
  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