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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bat — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — to crush
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — a skill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. swing — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bat — for baseball

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