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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — a break
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — humankind
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ground — a position

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