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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: pit · pitcher · object · saw · race · rock · roll · chair

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — to protest
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. roll — a list
  12. pit — a hole
  13. roll — a cake
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chair — a leader
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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