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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — humankind
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. key — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — of the sea

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