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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — a position
  3. race — a contest
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ground — crushed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — humankind
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — to shout
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mate — a friend

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