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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: race · lie · ground · squash · pit · pound · march · kick

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. race — a contest
  7. ground — a position
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lie — to recline
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. march — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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