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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: file · dip · kick · cap · drill · suit · pound · race

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. suit — to fit
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. race — a contest
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — in cards
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — a sauce

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