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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — a contest
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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