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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. key — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. present — the time now
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. present — a gift
  11. shower — to wash
  12. kick — in football
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pound — a weight
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — rain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kick — with a leg

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