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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — happening now
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — to bear
  11. current — electric
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. craft — boats
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a great time
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. current — of water

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