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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — humankind
  3. file — a tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — a city
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. capital — money

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