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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a match
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — to be able to
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mate — a partner
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. game — a kind of play
  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