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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. charge — electricity
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. hand — help

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