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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — a position
  8. object — to protest
  9. race — humankind
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a path
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — a thing

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