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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fine — all right
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — boats
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. clip — a video
  19. race — humankind
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — in music
  24. fine — high quality

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