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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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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: track · squash · pound · race · lean · rock · sharp · pitch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a path
  5. race — the arms race
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a song
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — to hit hard

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