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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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