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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. toast — bread
  7. race — humankind
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pound — to hit hard

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