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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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 — to shout
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — a contest
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — the arms race
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — completely
  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