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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · bound · rush · pitcher · roll · wind · chip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. race — humankind

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