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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — humankind
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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