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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — a contest
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — humankind
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pop — soda
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. calf — a young animal

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