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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 120 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. court — for sport
  5. race — the arms race
  6. court — of law
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — a weight
  9. race — humankind
  10. court — of a king
  11. last — finally
  12. mark — a grade
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. last — to go on
  17. staff — a stick
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — final

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