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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 116 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: bank · prune · row · cell · perch · wound · race · racket

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — a phone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. race — humankind
  11. cell — in biology
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — a contest
  24. bank — for money

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