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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. race — the arms race
  5. object — to protest
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — happening now
  9. clip — to cut
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. race — humankind
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. pound — a weight
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — a contest
  24. object — a thing

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