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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — a country
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — humankind
  8. land — ground
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — boats

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