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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — to shout
  19. snap — to click
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — to get on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — from crying

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