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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. 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. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — finally
  8. race — humankind
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — final
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. 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