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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — for digging
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a hint
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — a signal
  19. firm — a company
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — a break

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