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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — to play on
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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