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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rash — a series
  3. court — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a match
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — wild animals
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. court — of a king
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — a contest
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — on the skin

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