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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chest — a box
  4. track — a song
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — a contest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — music
  19. track — a path
  20. season — of the year
  21. current — of water
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — humankind

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