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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — music
  12. cell — a phone
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — the arms race
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — to handle

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