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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. race — humankind
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — ground
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — in the ear

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