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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: key · race · nail · deal · march · suit · craft · straw

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — boats
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. craft — a skill
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. race — a contest
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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