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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bay · race · mate · deal · fan · object · sharp · ball

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — a contest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — humankind
  13. object — a thing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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