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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. squash — to crush

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