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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. craft — a skill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ball — a great time
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — a video
  16. race — the arms race
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — the time now
  21. bank — of a river
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — humankind

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