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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: racket · pitch · stick · mouse · race · bark

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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