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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — a contest
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. toast — bread
  13. club — a group
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — the sport
  22. club — for golf
  23. race — the arms race
  24. dip — to dunk

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