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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: bank · swing · race · racket · file · arm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — of a river
  3. file — a line of people
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. file — a document
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — a part of something

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