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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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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: last · race · scale · calf · spell · bulb · squash · firm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — final
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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