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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — to handle
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. snap — to click
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. squash — to crush
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — for catching
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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