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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. firm — steady
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — in cards
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. suit — clothes
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — happy
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — a skill
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — shares
  24. firm — a company

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