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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. race — a contest
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — a law
  12. race — humankind
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — boats
  20. net — after costs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rule — government
  23. net — in sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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