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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. firm — steady
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — a company
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — humankind
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. race — the arms race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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