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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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Word bank
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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: deal · track · ground · charge · land · nail · race · pound

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — the earth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — a contest
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. race — humankind
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. land — a country
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — electricity
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ground — a position
  23. track — a song
  24. race — the arms race

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