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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. race — the arms race
  16. track — a song
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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