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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · race · wave · pitcher · squash · band · club · spring

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spring — of water
  11. race — a contest
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. race — humankind
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — for golf
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — a group
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — letters

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