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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — the fish
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — a contest
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — humankind
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — for catching
  19. ground — the earth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to spend time

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