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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — in cards
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — a contest
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — humankind
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — of law
  15. root — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — to eat

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