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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. race — a contest
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ground — a position
  24. file — a document

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