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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. race — a contest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — dry grass

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