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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — to eat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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