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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pound — a weight
  4. file — a tool
  5. swing — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. race — humankind
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — the arms race
  19. file — a document
  20. content — happy
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — for a hammer

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