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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — electric
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — the season
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — a contest
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. firm — steady
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — happening now
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. fine — high quality
  20. race — the arms race
  21. firm — a company
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — decided
  24. bank — for money

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