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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: coach · race · craft · bass · calf · mug · toast · racket

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — a contest
  6. toast — bread
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. race — humankind
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a face
  21. craft — a skill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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