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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — goods
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — to drill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to tire
  15. charge — a price
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. charge — in control
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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