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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: game · bass · deal · spell · rock · race · snap · object

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spell — magic
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rock — a stone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a match
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. object — an aim

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