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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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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: wake · bowl · bay · season · mine · craft · race · cap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — for digging
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. race — humankind
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — of ice

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