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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: present · suit · tear · pitcher · race · fan · mouse · bowl

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — a gift
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — the time now
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. fan — to cool the air

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