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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: rush · pit · kid · race · mug · hide · club · roll

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — a group
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. club — for golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. kid — child

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