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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: wake · bowl · pop · stand · craft · race · racket · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — to bear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — to visit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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