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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: club · racket · stick · race · mark · field

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — a subject
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — a contest
  15. club — a group
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing

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