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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: race · suit · pitcher · club · face · bear · chest · land

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. land — a country
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. suit — to fit
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — ground
  23. club — a group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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