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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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Word bank
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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: mark · race · racket · dip · file · board · prune · shower

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a document
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — to sink
  22. file — a line of people
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — rain

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