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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — humankind
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — a contest
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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