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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stock — shares
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. race — humankind
  22. cue — for pool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stock — goods

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