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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — to crush
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. march — music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — humankind
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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