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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: rock · deal · bay · pitcher · pit · spring · race · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — boats
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. race — a contest
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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