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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: race · drill · ruler · pop · racket · hide

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. drill — a practice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race

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