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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: cap · bore · sharp · suit · race · rash · fork · squash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — clothes
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — a series
  14. bore — to tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — humankind
  24. fork — to eat with

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