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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. race — the arms race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. snap — to click
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bark — to shout
  17. land — ground
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. perch — the fish
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — humankind
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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