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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. club — a group
  9. race — a contest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. club — for dancing
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — humankind
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. club — for golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. capital — a city
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pound — for dogs

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