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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. present — a gift
  6. game — a match
  7. toast — bread
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — farmland
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. field — for sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — a hint
  22. present — the time now
  23. cue — for pool
  24. present — there

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