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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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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 · pit · fine · march · saw · nail · bass · race

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bass — low music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — all right
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pit — a hole
  24. race — the arms race

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