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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. march — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hand — help
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — humankind
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — a contest
  22. firm — steady
  23. tube — the underground
  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