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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. race — a contest
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — a permit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — a path

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