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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — the underground
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — goods
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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