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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 120 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. court — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — for a bird

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