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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pop — to visit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — to sink
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — tied together
  22. race — a contest
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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