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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. race — a contest
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. toast — bread
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a line
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — a loud noise

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