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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mate — to breed
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — a company
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. firm — decided
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — letters
  19. mate — a partner
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — dry grass

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