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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spring — a coil
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — humankind
  15. firm — decided
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — a contest

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