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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: racket · fine · race · firm · game · mate · kick · wind

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fine — high quality
  8. race — a contest
  9. game — a match
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wind — moving air
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — humankind
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. firm — a company
  18. game — wild animals
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. kick — in football
  24. mate — to breed

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