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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. race — a contest
  11. stock — shares
  12. band — a music group
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — a skill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. race — humankind
  24. mark — a trace

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