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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. game — a match
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mate — to breed
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — a weight
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — to fit
  18. race — humankind
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — hurry

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