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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. craft — a skill
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — music
  5. race — humankind
  6. squash — to crush
  7. race — a contest
  8. object — to protest
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rock — a stone
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — the sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — boats
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — a group

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