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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — humankind
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — a skill
  24. race — a contest

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