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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — to shout
  6. club — a group
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — a country
  14. race — humankind
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. club — for dancing
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. season — in sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. squash — the sport
  23. club — for golf
  24. season — to add flavour

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