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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: race · charge · fall · net · land · cue · craft · suit

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — to fit
  6. net — for catching
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. craft — boats
  15. net — in sport
  16. land — ground
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — to drop

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