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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — low music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — a handicraft

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