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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 120 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: race · object · spell · stand · bat · racket · foot · branch

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spell — magic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. branch — a division
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — the animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — in an idiom

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