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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 120 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: last · kick · bear · mouse · deal · track · swing · race

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. track — a path
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — to go on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. track — a song
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. swing — music

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