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

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — humankind
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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