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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. race — humankind
  11. file — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — the cause

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