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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bulb — for light
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — for dogs

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