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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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. band — a music group
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. race — humankind
  5. drill — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. rest — a break
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. current — of water
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — to bear

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