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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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Word bank
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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 · lean · pound · race · pop · suit · ground · staff

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. suit — to fit
  8. race — humankind
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — crushed
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pop — to visit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. suit — clothes

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