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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. race — humankind
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — a thing
  21. race — a contest
  22. stem — to come from
  23. object — an aim
  24. stem — of a plant

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