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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kid — to tease
  18. charge — in control
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — a price

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