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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — goods
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a skill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. craft — a handicraft

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