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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: arm · suit · ball · wake · branch · race · roll · pound

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. race — humankind
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a dance
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. roll — a list
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a great time
  18. race — a contest
  19. pound — a weight
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. suit — in cards
  23. race — the arms race
  24. roll — on a roll

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