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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: cabinet · pitcher · rash · racket · lash · mine · fork · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — for digging
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — a series
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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