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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: race · wound · bulb · object · craft · racket · cold · pit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — not warm
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — an illness
  16. race — humankind
  17. object — an aim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a hole

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