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

Word bank: jam · bowl · fall · race · racket · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fall — the season
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis

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