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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a trace
  11. race — the arms race
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. race — a contest
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — a hat
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitcher — a jug

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