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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: squash · mouse · cabinet · race · court · staff · snap · rash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — a stick
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. rash — a series
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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