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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: key · race · foot · racket · last · prune · mouse · swing

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — final
  21. race — humankind
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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