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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: band · arm · racket · tear · kick · roll · race · pitch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tear — to rip
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — completely
  16. roll — a cake
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. roll — a list
  24. arm — part of the body

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