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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: pound · race · deal · charge · track · wave · clip · roll

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. roll — a list
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — a cake

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