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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — a hole
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — boats
  11. race — humankind
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. court — of law
  16. race — a contest
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — for sport

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