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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pound — a weight
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — humankind
  10. degree — from a university
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — temperature

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