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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: wake · foot · race · stock · branch · suit · bound · racket

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — shares
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — to fit
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. suit — clothes
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — in cards
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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