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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — a container
  15. sharp — clever
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. file — a tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — the underground

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