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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.

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: craft · game · wound · coach · land · wax · pitcher · mark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — a match
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. land — to come down
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — an injury

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