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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: scale · bear · pit · rush · net · race · branch · mug

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — to rob
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. scale — in music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — a division
  24. rush — hurry

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