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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. race — humankind
  11. club — for golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — ground
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — a country
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mug — to rob

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