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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for golf
  4. race — a contest
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a match
  9. club — a group
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — decided
  14. roll — a cake
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — of the year
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. firm — a company

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