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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. last — final
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — the arms race
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — humankind
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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