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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 116 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: straw · court · cabinet · charge · craft · tube · race · ruler

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — for sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — of law
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. court — of a king
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. race — the arms race

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