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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — humankind
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. net — for catching
  9. field — for sport
  10. press — to push
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. press — newspapers
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a flat piece

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