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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. race — humankind
  8. rock — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. race — a contest
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — boats
  15. race — the arms race
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. march — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. craft — a skill
  24. march — the month

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