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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bore — to tire
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — an aim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — a thing
  24. mouse — for a computer

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