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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: race · staff · saw · branch · pound · racket · wake · bay

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. race — a contest
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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