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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: wound · squash · race · fork · key · fine · capital · firm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fine — all right
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — money
  10. firm — steady
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — in music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — the most important part
  19. capital — a city
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — decided
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — high quality

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