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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ground — a position
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — hurry
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — a thrill

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