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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — a weight
  6. race — humankind
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. race — a contest
  23. chair — a leader
  24. race — the arms race

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