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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · racket · race · ruler · bark · chip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — low music
  13. race — a contest
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. racket — for tennis

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