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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: race · firm · pitcher · rock · craft · court · capital · board

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a skill
  10. firm — steady
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. race — humankind
  13. court — for sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. court — of law
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — boats
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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