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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. race — a contest
  4. land — ground
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — a group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — for golf
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — a country
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — the fruit
  24. race — the arms race

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