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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 116 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: shower · rule · race · scale · rest · key · craft · pitch

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. race — a contest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. shower — rain
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — humankind
  24. craft — boats

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