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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. band — a music group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — steady
  13. band — a ring
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — for a lock
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. firm — decided
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — the most important part
  23. suit — clothes
  24. key — in music

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