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

Word bank: craft · race · face · content · deal · pit

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — to confront
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. race — a contest
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — boats
  14. deal — to handle
  15. content — happy
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. race — humankind
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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