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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. race — humankind
  3. staff — a stick
  4. squash — the sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — a division
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — all right
  24. firm — decided

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