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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: race · racket · pitcher · safe · game · file · club · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. file — a line of people
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for golf
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a document
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. club — for dancing
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. file — a tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — a group

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