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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
468
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 · saw · racket · wound · tube · cabinet · stock · race

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — a contest
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — humankind
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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