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

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — humankind
  4. toast — bread
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — to bear
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. key — in music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — the most important part
  22. current — electric
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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