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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — to eat

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