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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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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: can · last · race · rock · racket · mouse · shower · branch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. last — to go on
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — final
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rock — music
  24. 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