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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the fish
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — to breed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — a contest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — letters
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. object — an aim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — to protest
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — magic

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