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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — humankind
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. degree — temperature
  21. branch — a division
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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