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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: fall · track · racket · present · mine · jam · mouse · race

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — the arms race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. present — the time now
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. race — humankind
  12. track — a path
  13. race — a contest
  14. present — a gift
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — there
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — for digging

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