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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — of a word
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — low music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. root — the cause

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