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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: deal · firm · wound · race · bowl · squash · pass · club

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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