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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · craft · row · perch · court · date · lean · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — of water
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — the arms race
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. craft — boats
  20. lean — thin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. court — of a king

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