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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. race — humankind
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — newspapers
  7. race — a contest
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — to push
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. cap — a lid
  16. race — the arms race
  17. march — the month
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — of ice
  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