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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. court — of law
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. race — the arms race
  13. track — a path
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. track — a song
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. content — happy
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of a king

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