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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pop — soda
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — to handle
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — music
  24. pop — to visit

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