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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — in golf
  5. land — ground
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — to play on
  9. land — a country
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. suit — clothes
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. swing — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. suit — to fit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. capital — a city
  24. craft — boats

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