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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 120 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: firm · charge · hand · band · craft · race · pit · spell

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — letters
  3. race — humankind
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. firm — a company
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — a short time
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. race — a contest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — steady
  24. band — a ring

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