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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. net — for catching
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — after costs
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — humankind
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. court — of a king
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. race — a contest
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — for sport
  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