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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — a contest
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — humankind
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mug — a face
  12. swing — music
  13. land — ground
  14. swing — in golf
  15. land — to come down
  16. mug — a cup
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — employees
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — a country

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