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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — a break

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