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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. march — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — boats
  21. march — the month
  22. race — a contest
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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