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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · firm · stand · clip · fine · craft

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stand — to bear
  7. race — a contest
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. firm — decided
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. firm — a company
  12. craft — boats
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — for paper
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — on your feet

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