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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — humankind
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pound — a weight
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fan — a supporter

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