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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: pound · pitch · current · race · spell · firm · rush · fine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — the arms race
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitch — completely
  18. firm — a company
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — decided

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