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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: rule · racket · race · stick · arm · ground · wake · ball

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. race — humankind
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rule — government
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — a law
  19. ground — a position
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — crushed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — a trail
  24. race — a contest

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