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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. race — humankind
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — for catching
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bark — to shout
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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