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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — humankind
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the sport
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — a contest
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stem — a stem cell

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