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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: fine · race · tear · ruler · bass · branch · pitcher · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. race — humankind
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — a division
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — the arms race
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — to rip

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