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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: bowl · bark · fine · chest · file · race · ruler · racket

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. race — humankind
  14. chest — a box
  15. file — a document
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — all right
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — the arms race

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