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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — to get on
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. board — a committee

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