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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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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: stick · game · race · lash · pitcher · craft · last · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. last — final
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. race — a contest
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — the arms race

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