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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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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. charge — a price
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. charge — in control
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rush — hurry
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cold — an illness

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