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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · drill · object · deal · race · foot

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. race — the arms race
  7. object — an aim
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. drill — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — to protest
  16. foot — a measure
  17. drill — a practice
  18. toast — the most admired

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