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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — humankind

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