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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bound — certain
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — music
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — a contest
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. race — humankind
  24. bear — the animal

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