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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. object — an aim
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — music
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — a contest
  13. spring — a coil
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spell — a short time
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — boats
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — to protest
  24. race — the arms race

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