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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 116 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 · stick · racket · pitcher · can · capital · land · club

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — a contest
  15. can — to be able to
  16. capital — money
  17. land — to come down
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. club — for golf
  23. land — a country
  24. race — the arms race

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