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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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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: cabinet · racket · fall · race · foot · field · pound · branch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. field — farmland
  3. fall — the season
  4. race — a contest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — a weight
  8. field — a subject
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — to drop
  11. race — humankind
  12. field — for sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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