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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: ruler · rock · chest · bark · race · branch · racket · dip

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. race — a contest
  3. chest — of your body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. race — humankind
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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