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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — a subject
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. race — a contest
  11. suit — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. suit — clothes
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — the arms race
  20. craft — boats
  21. date — the fruit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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