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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: deal · press · nail · stem · race · bark · bat · swing

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bark — to shout
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bat — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — a contest
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. swing — in golf

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