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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bass — low music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to point toward
  12. craft — boats
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. race — humankind
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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