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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — humankind
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — money
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — a safe
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. game — a match
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. race — a contest
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. game — a kind of play

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