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

Word bank: tear · present · mate · stand · race · scale · bark · rock

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — there
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — a contest
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — humankind
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — to shout
  20. race — the arms race
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tear — from crying

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