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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 · branch · rock · saw · file · snap · racket · chair

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. race — humankind
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a document
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. branch — of a tree

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