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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — for golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. firm — a company
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — steady
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. race — the arms race
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. arm — part of the body

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