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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — humankind
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. race — a contest
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fork — in a road
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — of a tree

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