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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 116 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: snap · land · race · object · firm · bulb · racket · squash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — ground
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — a country
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to click
  9. land — to come down
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — the arms race
  13. firm — a company
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. object — a thing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. firm — decided
  23. object — an aim
  24. racket — a loud noise

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