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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — a coil
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — obliged
  20. squash — the sport
  21. race — a contest
  22. spring — the season
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — to crush

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