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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. race — a contest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. race — humankind
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stand — for spectators

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