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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · field · craft · sharp · scale · present · coach · rush

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — humankind
  3. present — the time now
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — a contest
  8. present — a gift
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — there

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