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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — a contest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. degree — an amount
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — temperature
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ground — crushed
  24. race — humankind

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