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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — a contest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — humankind
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a great time
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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