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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — a contest
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — rain
  12. craft — a skill
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — the arms race
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — electricity
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — in control
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — humankind

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