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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: spell · safe · snap · pound · race · ground · craft · club

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — letters
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — the arms race
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — magic
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — boats
  17. ground — a position
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for golf
  24. pound — for dogs

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