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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: mouse · hand · swing · race · foot · squash · bowl · jam

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — a contest
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. squash — to crush
  14. swing — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. foot — a measure
  24. swing — to play on

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