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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · race · bank · net · pitcher · mouse · straw · racket

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — humankind
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — for catching
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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