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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: stick · chair · race · mug · pound · file

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. race — humankind
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — a contest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a face
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chair — to sit on

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