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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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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 · squash · field · nail · charge · ruler · racket · mouse

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — for sport

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