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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of law
  13. race — humankind
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — for 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