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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pop — to visit
  3. firm — decided
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — a company
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. race — humankind
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. firm — steady

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