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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — humankind
  6. net — in sport
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — obliged
  9. shower — rain
  10. net — for catching
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — after costs
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — tied together

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