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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · race · branch · cap · pitcher · nail · field · wax

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. field — farmland
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — humankind

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