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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: bat · ball · ground · rash · bore · nail · race · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — to tire

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