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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. race — humankind
  9. firm — steady
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to drill

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