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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — electric
  7. charge — a price
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — humankind
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. race — a contest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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