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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — humankind
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. object — an aim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — to protest

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