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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: hide · race · bank · dip · ruler · pitcher · field · branch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — farmland
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. branch — a division
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. race — a contest

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