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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. race — a contest
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — government
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rule — to rule out

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