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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. race — the arms race
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ground — a position
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stand — for spectators

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