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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — thin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — in traffic

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