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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. craft — boats
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. capital — a city
  8. ball — a great time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — an aim
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mate — a partner
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — money
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — videos and posts

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