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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. track — a song
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. tube — in a tire

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