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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — soda
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. race — a contest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. race — humankind
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — the cause
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. object — an aim

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