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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — humankind
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — boats
  15. race — a contest
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. race — the arms race
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. capital — a city
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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