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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a skill
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — a break
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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