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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: court · calf · track · degree · mate · coach · race · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — a song
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mate — a partner
  14. track — to keep track
  15. degree — temperature
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a path
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. race — humankind
  22. mate — to breed
  23. court — of law
  24. degree — from a university

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