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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: deal · rush · ruler · pitch · race · squash · firm · lash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — hurry
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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