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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — humankind
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — belonging to me

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