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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — humankind
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. race — the arms race
  12. toast — bread
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. foot — the bottom

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