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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: rash · track · cue · craft · court · hand · key · nail

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. craft — boats
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. court — for sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — for pool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a song

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