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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — a group
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. club — for golf
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — boats
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wind — moving air

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