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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. race — a contest
  4. bark — to shout
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. club — for golf
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. branch — of a bank

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