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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — humankind
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — a company
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. race — the arms race
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — to play on
  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