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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: bulb · suit · fork · race · mouse · ground · mug · file

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mug — a face
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. file — a tool

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