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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: craft · lie · roll · toast · firm · net · capital · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — for catching
  4. craft — a skill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — humankind
  7. firm — a company
  8. capital — money
  9. net — after costs
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — in sport
  12. toast — bread
  13. firm — steady
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. craft — boats
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. firm — decided

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