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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — happy
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — the amount
  10. race — a contest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. race — humankind
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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