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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a song
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — a list
  9. object — a thing
  10. roll — a cake
  11. squash — the sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — to keep track
  14. race — humankind
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. race — a contest
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. object — to protest
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — a weight

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