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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 116 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: cell · fan · object · race · deal · pound · bear · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — to protest
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — a contest
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. object — a thing

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