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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stock — goods
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — soda
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pop — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — humankind
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a friend

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