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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. craft — a skill
  3. march — the month
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — a contest
  7. content — happy
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — a company
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — humankind
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — the amount
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. march — music

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