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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. race — a contest
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — thin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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