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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 120 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 · racket · deal · lean · plane · stick · fine · bark

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — thin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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