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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — humankind
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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