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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 116 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: bat · rash · pit · craft · snap · coach · bowl · clip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. clip — to cut
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. clip — a video
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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