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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — for catching
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — a company
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — in music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. firm — steady
  19. key — for a lock
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — a series
  23. race — the arms race
  24. net — in sport

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