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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — for catching
  8. race — a contest
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — a song
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitch — completely

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