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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: craft · track · coach · chip · wax · spring · bat · nail

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — boats
  12. spring — of water
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a path
  15. craft — a skill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — for sculpting

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