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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to click
  4. root — of a word
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — certain
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — to get on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — a contest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. root — the cause
  20. current — electric
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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