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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — to wash
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — a face
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — for catching
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — the arms race

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