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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a skill
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — the arms race
  24. craft — a handicraft

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