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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — a stone
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. race — humankind
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — for golf

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