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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 116 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — the arms race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. land — a country
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. land — ground
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — humankind
  16. land — to come down
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ground — a position
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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