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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — for sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of a king
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bank — of a river
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a skill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — the arms race

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