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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · wound · bulb · craft · game · court · pitch · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — wild animals
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — humankind
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — a match
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — boats

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