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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. spring — of water
  15. race — the arms race
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to drill
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — a monarch

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