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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: leaves · spell · ground · file · racket · mate · chair · race

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — humankind
  11. chair — a leader
  12. file — a tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. file — a line of people
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — a friend
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mate — to breed
  19. race — a contest
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ground — a position

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