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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: race · can · vault · craft · toast · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — a skill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — a tin
  7. race — a contest
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. vault — a safe
  17. toast — bread
  18. kid — to tease

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