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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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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: rest · cell · pound · bowl · present · race

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rest — a break
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — there
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. present — the time now
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish

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