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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — to play on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. swing — music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — a big deal

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