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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. race — a contest
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cell — a phone
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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