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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a great time
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — army training
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a face
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. drill — a practice
  24. race — humankind

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