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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. race — humankind
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — to breed
  7. race — a contest
  8. pop — music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bark — of a tree

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