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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 124 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — a contest
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to confront
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — an agreement

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