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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — a series
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chair — a leader

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