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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · leaves · race · date · rock · toast · pitcher · cap

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. race — humankind
  3. cap — a lid
  4. date — the fruit
  5. toast — bread
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. race — a contest
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — the arms race
  24. date — on the calendar

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