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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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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: charge · present · deal · craft · spring · race

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — to handle
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. race — a contest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — a gift
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — there
  18. race — the arms race

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