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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. race — humankind
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a song
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — steady
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — a division
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — to keep track
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — the arms race
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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