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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — a contest
  8. capital — money
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — humankind
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — a signal

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