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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — a match
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. land — a country
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — ground
  24. race — a contest

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