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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. race — the arms race
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cell — in biology
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cell — a phone
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. band — a ring
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — humankind

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