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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — to play on
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. swing — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the sport
  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