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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — a permit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  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