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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. file — a document
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. file — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a great time

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