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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: sharp · row · pound · deal · roll · race · club · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. race — a contest
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. race — humankind
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. club — for golf
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — for dancing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. sharp — clever
  20. club — a group
  21. roll — a list
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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