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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 · deal · saw · ground · arm · race · bulb · bass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. race — humankind
  12. bark — to shout
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. arm — part of the body

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