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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. race — a contest
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a song
  20. rule — government
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. track — a path
  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