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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 · mark · race · fork · deal · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — to handle
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. race — humankind
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — a trace
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — to pay attention

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