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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: branch · bowl · wound · race · object · cold · mark · fork

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mark — a trace
  3. branch — a division
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — a contest
  17. object — an aim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — humankind
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cold — an illness
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — not warm

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