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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bank — of a river
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — a subject
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. race — a contest
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — in geometry

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