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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rock — music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — humankind
  24. patient — a sick person

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