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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 · mouse · cell · fork · cabinet · last · present · race

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — humankind
  7. cell — a phone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — final
  10. present — a gift
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — there
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — a garden tool

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