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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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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: file · race · bear · game · bore · squash · stick · pit

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bore — to drill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. squash — the sport

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