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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. track — a song
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. track — a path
  11. bound — certain
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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