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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pound — a weight
  4. club — for golf
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — a contest
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. firm — decided
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — a group
  23. net — for catching
  24. race — the arms race

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