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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — to shout
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — a contest
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. press — to push
  10. field — for sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — a thing
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. race — humankind
  21. field — a subject
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — the vegetable

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