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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. race — humankind
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — a line
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — the animal

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