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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. drill — army training
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — the tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — a law
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — a contest
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kid — child
  22. rule — government
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. drill — a practice

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