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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — a price
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. race — a contest
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — to shout
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — in control
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. race — humankind

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