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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. race — a contest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — for sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. game — a match
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — humankind
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pound — a weight

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