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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. club — for dancing
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — for golf
  21. pop — music
  22. club — a group
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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