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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. court — for sport
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. race — the arms race
  12. court — of law
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — humankind
  17. present — the time now
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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