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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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Word bank
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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: rule · racket · race · stick · arm · ground

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — a position
  17. arm — a part of something
  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