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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — in sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — to sink
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. race — humankind
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — a contest

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