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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kick — in football
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stock — goods

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