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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: race · pass · rule · pop · kid · pound · net · staff

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. race — the arms race
  11. net — for catching
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pop — music
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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