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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. game — a match
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. craft — boats
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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