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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — happy
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — to fit
  11. club — a group
  12. press — to push
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — humankind
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bark — to shout
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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