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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: content · net · snap · season · present · race · pound · rush

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. race — humankind
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. content — happy
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. snap — to click
  20. content — the amount
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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