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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. object — a thing
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — for catching
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. race — the arms race
  18. net — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — a law

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