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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 116 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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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: racket · spell · tube · spring · mark · rash · race · can

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — humankind
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — to be able to
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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