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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — final
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — low music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — to go on
  11. race — humankind
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fall — the season
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stock — shares
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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