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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · file · wake · pound · bear · race

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. file — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. race — humankind
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bear — the animal

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