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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — after costs
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — a weight
  11. race — humankind
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. spell — a short time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — letters
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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