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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — humankind
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — to shout
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. race — a contest
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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