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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: racket · mug · track · craft · court · race · bay · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — boats
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — to rob
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. court — for sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of law
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — a contest
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — gave birth

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