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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hand — help
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a music group
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. race — a contest
  15. track — a song
  16. rash — a series
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. track — to keep track

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