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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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Word bank
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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — humankind
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — a contest
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — boats
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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