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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — humankind
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitch — completely
  8. firm — a company
  9. march — the month
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — a short time

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