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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. firm — a company
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — for digging
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — a weight
  23. race — humankind
  24. scale — size or range

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