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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: drill · last · pound · fine · race · club · foot · wax

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. drill — army training
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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