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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: lean · sharp · racket · cue · pitcher · stick · race · present

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — clever
  4. race — a contest
  5. lean — thin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — there
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — a gift
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cue — for pool

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