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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. court — for sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. court — of law
  7. race — humankind
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — of a king
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. craft — a skill

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