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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: race · stick · craft · game · drill · calf · rock · can

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — boats
  4. drill — a practice
  5. race — a contest
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — the arms race
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — music
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — a tin

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