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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 · board · stand · row · clip · safe · jam · race

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — humankind
  13. clip — a video
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — a committee
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — to shout
  24. race — a contest

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