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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — humankind
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — the arms race
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. craft — boats

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