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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: swing · pound · race · lash · cap · toast · track · rock

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. toast — bread
  3. swing — in golf
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rock — music
  14. track — a path
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a song
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — humankind
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — music
  24. race — a contest

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