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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: suit · pit · hide · cabinet · race · pitcher · mouse · club

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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