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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. race — humankind
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. firm — decided
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. march — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — to protest
  22. craft — boats
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — a company

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