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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: roll · race · court · racket · calf · clip · craft · wave

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. court — of law
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. craft — a skill
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — boats
  21. clip — to cut
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. racket — a loud noise

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