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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — a group
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for golf

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