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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cell — in biology
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — a phone
  17. last — final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. track — a path
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — to bear

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