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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: rush · pound · stand · race · tear · squash · bowl · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — to rip
  3. race — a contest
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — hurry
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. tear — from crying
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — to roll

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