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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. date — the fruit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. race — a contest
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kick — in football
  24. bear — the animal

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