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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: rush · game · bowl · race · field · trunk · sharp · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. race — a contest
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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