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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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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: race · kick · game · kid · bank · pit · bear · pitcher

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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