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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — letters
  4. race — a contest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — humankind
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — tied together

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