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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 · craft · cabinet · stick · saw · charge · mouse · date

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. race — a contest
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a skill

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