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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — finally
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — electric
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tear — to rip
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — of water
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. last — final

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