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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: key · pound · lie · ruler · content · track · last · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. last — finally
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — happy
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — to go on
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a song
  17. key — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. key — the most important part
  24. last — final

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