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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
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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: mark · game · patient · leaves · firm · bat · craft · race

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — a contest
  12. mark — a grade
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — a company
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — humankind
  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