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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — music
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — a series
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — a contest
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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