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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. race — the arms race

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