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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: suit · sharp · race · bowl · pitcher · tear · file · bore

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. file — a tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a document
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. sharp — clever
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. file — a line of people

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