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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: mark · craft · object · capital · race · straw · current · field

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. field — a subject
  6. mark — a trace
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. object — to protest
  12. current — of water
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. current — happening now
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — electric
  23. race — humankind
  24. capital — money

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