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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. toast — bread
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — a weight
  6. race — humankind
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chest — a box
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. chip — for betting
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  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