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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — a contest
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bank — of a river
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. land — ground
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — humankind
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. club — for dancing

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