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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — hasty
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — a group
  24. rash — on the skin

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