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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: cue · stick · dip · fine · bowl · face · bark · race

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — to confront
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — high quality
  21. race — a contest
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — to shout

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