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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 120 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 · trunk · mouse · last · firm · pitcher · ruler · mine

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. race — the arms race
  3. last — finally
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — a contest
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. last — final
  24. race — humankind

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