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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — a city
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. race — a contest
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. capital — money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — government
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — humankind
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. shower — to wash
  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