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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — shares
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — goods
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rule — government
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. race — a contest
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bank — of a river

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