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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: bay · mark · race · chair · present · band · chest · pound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a ring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a music group
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. race — a contest
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. present — a gift

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