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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. last — finally
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. key — in music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. race — humankind
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — to go on
  23. race — a contest
  24. last — final

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