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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: bound · race · current · plane · toast · bowl · squash · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — to handle
  8. race — humankind
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — the arms race
  13. current — of water
  14. race — a contest
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bound — certain

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