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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: mouse · hand · pit · chair · mine · racket · foot · race

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. race — a contest
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chair — a leader
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — a measure
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — a hole

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