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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. present — there
  5. squash — to crush
  6. toast — bread
  7. race — a contest
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — a gift
  10. race — humankind
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — the time now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. race — the arms race
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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