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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: craft · last · race · suit · game · march · dip · pop

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a skill
  3. march — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — the month
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. craft — boats
  16. pop — to visit
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — soda

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