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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: craft · pitcher · race · toast · cold · spell · game · track

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. race — humankind
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. game — wild animals
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cold — not warm
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — to keep track
  19. game — a match
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — bread
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a path

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