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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — to shout

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