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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 120 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: bark · rock · pound · lash · cabinet · rash · race · pitch

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — a stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — on the skin

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