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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
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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: wound · fan · race · suit · march · racket · ball · bear

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. march — the month
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — humankind
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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