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

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kid — to tease
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — the underground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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