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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a skill
  5. key — in music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. race — a contest
  8. craft — boats
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. key — for a lock
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — in a race
  22. race — humankind
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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