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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. race — humankind

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