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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. race — a contest
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. net — for catching
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — a safe
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. race — humankind
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wound — an injury

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