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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: club · race · squash · charge · bat · fine · present · bay

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. race — the arms race
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. race — humankind
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. charge — a price
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. present — a gift
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. race — a contest
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — in control
  21. bat — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — the time now

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