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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: last · ruler · racket · wound · race · suit

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — a contest
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. race — the arms race
  7. last — final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. race — humankind
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. racket — a loud noise

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