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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. swing — in golf
  9. race — a contest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — boats
  18. deal — to handle

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