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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — a song
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. scale — in music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chair — a leader
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. deal — an agreement

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