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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — humankind
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a music group

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