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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — child
  8. season — of the year
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — in sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. race — a contest
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. net — in sport

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