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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pound — a weight
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a trace
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. capital — a city
  20. race — the arms race
  21. present — there
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in 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