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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.

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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: coach · sharp · row · board · field · spell · craft · race

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — for sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — humankind
  7. row — a line
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — to get on
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — farmland
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — a subject
  22. row — to paddle
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. craft — a skill

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