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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 120 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: saw · face · stand · race · net · ruler · track · pound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. race — humankind
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. race — a contest
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — to bear

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