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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bass — low music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. race — humankind
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. tube — the underground
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. race — a contest
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bark — to shout

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