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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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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: squash · nail · mouse · last · ground · race · dip · club

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. last — finally
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. last — final
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — to sink
  11. squash — the sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — humankind
  18. ground — crushed
  19. squash — to crush
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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