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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — a contest
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — of the year
  12. craft — boats
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. race — the arms race
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. suit — clothes
  21. race — humankind
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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